BADMINTON VISIT

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 143, 20 June 1938, Page 11

BADMINTON VISIT

AUSTRALIAN TEAM

FIRST DOMINION TOUR

Eight of Australia's finest badminton players arrived in Wellington by the Awatea today for the first visit by an international side in the history of New Zealand badminton. Previous attempts to arrange for a visit havefailed. but the arrival of the Australian team to.day established the first link in a chain by which both national controlling bodies hope to arrange annual alternate visits. The Australian party comprises eleven. Mr. H. R. Brady, of Melbourne, is manager, and the playing strength comprises Messrs. C. Craske (captain),, T. Thompson, B. G. Tonkin, R. Harper, and Misses M. Horsburgh, B. Cuthbertson. I. Hev/ett, and E. Robert. In addition, Mrs. Tonkin and Miss M. Wray, of Melbourne, accompany the team.

Except for Thompson, all members of the team are either from Melbourne or Tasmania. In both Victoria and Tasmania, according to Mr. Brady, the game flourishes considerably, though it is growing apace in Adelaide and also in Newcastle, where Mr. Thompson at the moment is resident. The finest talent in Australia' was combed for the tour and the team adequately represented the strength of Australian badminton, with six reigning national champions in the party. The Australian authorities, he said, had great hopes of establishing annual visits and regarded the present visit as a pioneering occasion.

Members of the team declared that [ they had for some time felt great excitement, at the prospect-of visiting New Zealand. Except for Mr. Brady none of the. gide has previously visited the Dominion. The game, they said, was growing in Australia and the chief impediment to progress was lack o£ suitable halls, a condition which, has also militated against progress in New Zealand. But it was hoped, they said, to have special badminton buildings erected.

The playing strength of the team, which will be split into two, one touring the North and the other the South Island, is considerable in its representation of Australian strength.. Thompson, a former national champion, was the only player in either Australia or New Zealand to win a set from J. F. Devlin, the Irish-Canadian professional, during his 1936 tour. Devlin, as a former word's champion on many occasions, displayed badminton of a' quality previously undreamed of in New Zealand. Consequently, Thompson's performance cannot be'too highly praised. Mr. Cranke, the present singles champion, is also a player of brilliance, and Miss Horsburgh, the No. 1 ladies' string, has been seven times Victorian champion, as well as three times Australian champion. The North Island party will leave Wellington tomorrow for Hastings, accompanied by Mr. C. J. E. Smith, president of the New Zealand Federation. The South Island party will play at Masterton on Wednesday night and at the Town Hall, Wellington, on Thursday. Both groups will be the guests of the Wimbledon Club at the Winter Show building tonight.

- A civic reception was accorded the team soon after arrival by the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop), and a Government reception was to be tendered this afternoon.

CIVIC RECEPTION In welcoming the visitors at the civic reception, Mr. Hislop said that people in New Zealand enjoyed the opportunity of welcoming teams from overseas, and no teams were welcomed so warmly as those from Australia. "I have no knowledge of the game of badminton and I have only seen it played once or twice, but I would like to see it played while the tourists are here," he said. "Badminton is a game not only of skill, but it is played all the year round and it bears a great relation to squash rackets in that it gives plenty of exercise and gets the player hot rapidly."

The tour was going to give the players opportunity of meeting New Zealanders and playing against them, Mr. Hislop continued, and wherever they went they could be sure of a warm and hearty welcome. They would help in building up the friendship and camaraderie of the two sister Dominions. The people in New Zealand were looking forward with great interest to the see the team playing, and he wished them the best time they could have while they were here. It was certain that badminton would receive an immense stimulus through the team's visit, he said. • , ■

Mr. C. J. E. Smith, president.of the New Zealand Badminton Federation, said that it was a proud moment for members of the executive of the federation; as they had been planning Hhe tour for some, years. Badminton was going ahead by leaps and bounds arid the number of players had been doubled., . There were now seven 6r ; eight' thousand players in New Zealand and he thought that this was a very good record. " .The standard pf play between the two countries was not known, and for this reason New Zealand would have to look to her laurels. He ■ wished the team a successful trip. . ' ' j

Mr. Brady, manager of the Austra-lian''team,-said-he realised that the team was at the starting point of a great event, to which all of the members had been looking forward for rna'ny months.' ' 'He 'thought that the people of .New Zealand, who were known for their.. hospitality, would like the Australians... Whatever the result of the games,, he was sure that the players would be sportsmen to the backbone. The team was the best that could have been sent from Australia.

Mr. Craske, the captain of the team, said that both sides were looking forward to some good games.

Mr. B. Tonkin also spoke briefly,